Sri Lanka World Cup Cricket Team Profile 2011
Sri Lanka are one of the most exciting countries to watch in global cricket because they have a number of unorthodox players in their ranks. Sri Lanka have developed as a cricket nation over the last two to three years and are now one of the strongest teams in the world.
Sri Lanka are a well formed unit led by wicketkeeper batsman Kumar Sangakkara. Sri Lanka have the ability to dominate teams in any tournament or series and this can make them an intimidating team to play against.
Unorthodox Sri Lanka Players
There are many unorthodox Sri Lanka players that have made the country famous as a cricket nation. Lasith Malinga is one of the most dangerous bowlers to bat against from the Sri Lanka team. Malinga is one of the unorthodox Sri Lanka players because he bowls the ball at around 90 miles per hour from a side angle instead of over the top.
Another of the unorthodox Sri Lanka players is Muttiah Muralitharan, one of the greatest spinners to have ever played the game. Muralitharan holds the world records for most wickets taken in ODI and Test match cricket. His action is unique because he bowls the ball from the front of his hand throwing his forearm forwards.
One of the most notable current unorthodox Sri Lanka players is another spinner, Ajantha Mendis. Mendis is different from most spinners in the world because he flicks the ball out of his fingers as opposed to using the side of the fingers to put spin onto the ball. This makes him difficult to predict and read.
Experienced Sri Lanka Players
Sri Lanka are a strong team heading into the last eight of the World Cup because there are a number of experienced Sri Lanka players in their current squad. Sangakkara can be joined by the likes of Tilikeratne Dilshan and Mahela Jayawardena who have both played a lot of ODI games.
The importance of experienced Sri Lanka players is high because they will be key in pressure situations that Sri Lanka will be faced with in future matches. A lot of the Sri Lankan squad is still relatively raw and inexperienced which will elevate the role of experienced Sri Lanka players.
Sri Lankan Player to Watch
The Sri Lankan player to watch isn't one of the unorthodox or vastly experienced members of the squad, it is their best all-rounder. Angelo Mathews plays a big role as a middle order batsman and a medium paced bowler.
The reason Mathews is the Sri Lankan player to watch is because he gives the Sri Lanka side something they havenít had for a long time. Mathews has a batting average in ODIs of 34 and 32 wickets at 30 on the bowling front.
Mathews is also the Sri Lankan player to watch because the majority of international sides will focus on the star players in the Sri Lanka team. This means Mathews could go about his business and tear the majority of sides apart when they donít expect it.